Wales and Ireland rugby teams will be BANNED from both wearing their red and green home kits when they play each other to help colour-blind fans
- Colour blindness affects one in 12 men, or as many as 3,000 fans in a stadium
- Red and green colour blindness is the most common form of the condition
- World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont reveals he has colour vision deficiency
- Rugby looking to highlight implications in areas of equipment and TV coverage
Wales or Ireland may have to change out of their traditional jerseys if they are drawn to play each other at the 2027 Rugby World Cup as part of plans to help colour blind rugby fans.
Difficulty distinguishing between the red and green colours worn by the two teams is the most common form of colour blindness, a condition which is thought to impact around one in 12 men and one in 200 women.
The move comes after Sir Bill Beaumont, the chairman of World Rugby, revealed he has colour vision deficiency and former Scotland captain Chris Paterson said he sometimes struggled to distinguish between navy blue and dark red during his playing days.
Colour blindness is thought to affect approximately 300million people worldwide and with 8 per cent of men living with the condition, as many as 3,000 fans at a game could be struggling to distinguish between colours.
Marc Douglas, World Rugby's research, turf and equipment manager, told the i newspaper: 'From our perspective, if you're potentially limiting 8% of your male audience, that's a huge, huge number of people who are suddenly switching off.'
Click and drag to see how an Ireland v Wales rugby match might look to people with regular sight compared to those with colour-blindness
World Rugby is aiming to avoid two teams playing against each other in red and green at the 2027 Rugby Word Cup. Pictured: left, what a Wales v South Africa game may look like to someone with colour blindness. Right, how it looks to regular viewers
World Rugby is aiming to avoid two teams playing against each other in red and green at the 2027 Rugby Word Cup, and where clashes do occur, one team will be forced to wear their alternative kit.
The change would also impact Canada and Tonga, who wear red, and South Africa, who wear green.
It is understood the change will not come into force for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France as kit designs have been finalised.
Colour blindness is thought to impact one in 12 men, with difficulty distinguishing between red and green being the most common issue. Pictured: Wales v Ireland in the Six Nations in February
Click and drag to see how an Ireland v Wales rugby match might look to people with regular sight compared to those with colour-blindness
World Rugby, in partnership with the charity Colour Blind Awareness, published a set of guidelines to help people involved in the sport face the challenges posed by the condition.
The document highlighted implications of colour blindness in the areas of kit clashes, equipment and TV coverage among others with World Rugby saying it would work towards adopting them and encouraged stakeholders to support its effort.
One rugby supporter told Telegraph Sport that distinguishing between red and green was more difficult on television, especially during games played under headlights, while the recent Lions series against South Africa posed particular problems due to the home team's darker green kit.
Mr Beaumont said World Rugby's plans were part of making rugby 'accessible and inclusive for all'.
Last month he said the condition was 'largely misunderstood' and the challenges for those who play, coach, officiate and support the sport was often overlooked.
Speaking during last month's Colour Blindness Awareness Day, he said: 'In many regards rugby is one of the most accessible and inclusive sports, but colour blindness is largely misunderstood and the challenges for those who play, coach, officiate and support our sport is often overlooked.
'As someone who experiences those challenges first hand, I am delighted that World Rugby is marking Colour Blind Awareness Day 2021 by launching comprehensive guidance for all levels of the game that place visually-impaired considerations at the heart of our decision-making.
'Through this guidance, we hope to raise awareness and change culture through positive actions that don’t just address some of the more obvious challenges such as kit colours, but consider the whole match-day experience whether that be wayfinding, digital signage, branding or ticketing.
'We will be leading by example across our tournaments and will be working with our national member unions and competition organisers to embed them across the game.
'This is a hugely positive step that will help cement rugby as one of the most accessible and inclusive sports on the planet.'
This week, he added: 'Whether you are a player, coach, match official, administrator, volunteer or fan. No matter whether you are young or young at heart. No matter your religion, gender, sexual orientation, race, ability or disability – everyone is welcome in rugby.
'We exist to ensure that rugby is accessible and inclusive for all. Underscoring that commitment, we recognise the challenges that people with colour blindness or colour vision deficiency (CVD) have participating and experiencing our sport.
'I too have CVD and I am proud of the steps that we have taken in partnership with Colour Blind Awareness to both educate and inform in this important area in the form of these guidelines.
'Whether you are at the community or elite levels of the game, this guidance is designed to help you ensure that colour blind people are welcomed, have an exceptional experience, enjoying all the huge lifelong benefits that rugby can offer.
'Together we can ensure that the game is as inclusive as possible for everyone.'
In 2019, a 'See Green' Google Chrome extension was developed to help colour blind Irish fans watch their team at the Rugby World Cup in Japan. The technology allowed fans to adjust colours they saw on screens.
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